Mutation Research 611 (2006) 34–41 Genotoxic evaluation of extracts from Aplysina fulva, a Brazilian marine sponge Claudia Aiub a,b,∗ , Ana Giannerini b , Flavia Ferreira b , Jos´ e Mazzei b , Luiza Stankevicins b , Gisele Lobo-Hajdu c , Pedro Guimar˜ aes d , Eduardo Hajdu e , Israel Felzenszwalb b a Department of Cellular Biology, Division of Genetics, Salzburg University, Salzburg A5020, Austria b Department of Biophysics and Biometry, University of Rio de Janeiro State, Rio de Janeiro 20551-030, Brazil c Department of Cellular Biology and Genetics, Biology Institute Roberto Alcantara Gomes, University of Rio de Janeiro State, Rio de Janeiro 20551-030, Brazil d Department of Organic Chemistry, Chemistry Institute, University of Rio de Janeiro State, Rio de Janeiro 20551-030, Brazil e Department of Invertebrates, National Museum, University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 20940-040, Brazil Received 29 March 2006; received in revised form 13 June 2006; accepted 30 June 2006 Available online 20 September 2006 Abstract A range of biologically active secondary metabolites with pharmacological application has been reported to occur in marine sponges. The present study was undertaken to provide a set of data on the safety of a hydro-alcoholic extract (ALE) and an aqueous fraction (AQE) from Aplysina fulva Pallas, 1766 (Aplysinidae, Verongida, Porifera). Salmonella typhimurium strains TA97, TA98, TA100 and TA102, Escherichia coli strains PQ65, OG40, OG100, PQ35 and PQ37 and Balb/c 3T3 mouse fibroblasts were used to detect induction of DNA lesions by ALE and AQE. Assays used for these analyses were a bacterial (reverse) mutation assay (Ames test), the SOS-chromotest and the comet assay. Both extracts presented identical infrared 2-oxazolidone spectra. ALE treatment induced a higher frequency of type-4 comets, indicative of increasing DNA migration, in the alkaline comet assay. ALE also induced a weak genotoxic effect, as expressed by the induction factor (IF) values in the test with E. coli strain PQ35 (IF = 1.5) and by cytotoxic effects in strains PQ35, PQ65 and PQ37. Positive SOS induction (IF = 1.7) was detected in strain PQ37 treated with diluted AQE. No genotoxic effects were observed in strains PQ35, PQ65, OG40 and OG 100 after treatment with AQE dilutions. Using the bacterial (reverse) mutation test and survival assays with or without S9 mix, after 60min of pre-incubation, we observed for strain TA97 treated with ALE a weak mutagenic response (MI = 2.2), while cytotoxic effects were seen for strains TA98, TA100 and TA102. AQE did not show mutagenic activity in any of the strains tested, but a weak cytotoxic effect was noted in strain TA102. Our data suggest that both ALE and AQE from A. fulva induce DNA breaks leading to cytotoxicity and mutagenicity under the conditions used. © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Keywords: Aplysina fulva; Sponge extracts; Cytotoxicity; Mutagenicity; Genotoxicity; 2-Oxazolidone ∗ Corresponding author at: Department of Cellular Biology, Divi- sion of Genetics, Salzburg University, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, Salzburg A5020, Austria. Tel.: +43 662 8715 44; fax: +43 662 80445776. E-mail address: aiub@hotmail.com (C. Aiub). 1. Introduction Marine sponges provide an array of biologically active secondary metabolites with structural features dis- tinct from those of other natural sources [1]. Nineteen among 21 sponge species screened inhibited growth 1383-5718/$ – see front matter © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.mrgentox.2006.06.035